Ranchi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED), on Monday, released a press release about submitting a 5,000-page long charge sheet to ED Special Court. In the release, the ED claimed that during a raid, ED officials seized a bank passbook along with signed and unsigned cheques of Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren from the residence of his close associate and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Pankaj Mishra in Jharkhand’s Sahibganj on July 8, 2022.
ED, after analyzing phone records and relevant documents of the suspect and accused, submitted a 5,000 pages long chargesheet to the ED special court, the release added.
“One sealed envelope containing passbook and two cheque books containing two signed cheques and 31 blank cheques of Soren's account in Gangaprasad branch of Bank of India located in Sahibganj,” reads the chargesheet while mentioning details of seizure. ED also alleged that Mishra was actively involved in illegal mining and diverting crores of rupees under the instruction of Hemant Soren.
Mishra, a prime accused in a money laundering case linked to alleged illegal mining in the state, is in judicial custody as he was arrested under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on July 19. Bacchu Yadav and Prem Prakash, the two close aides of Mishra were arrested on August 5.
Former JMM treasurer Ravi Kejriwal has been quoted as saying that in his presence, the CM had instructed Pankaj Mishra to hand over the funds from the stone and sand business in Santhal directly to PP i.e. Prem Prakash who was responsible for sending money to Kolkata businessman Amit Agarwal. To confirm this, the ED has also presented a list of witnesses in court.
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Meanwhile, state BJP Legislature Party leader Babulal Marandi said that he had publicly written a letter to Chief Minister Hemant Soren a year and a half ago, telling how illegal mining was being done in Santhal. Under his rule, stone chips are transported through the ship from the hot pier. but the mining was being done under Mishra's supervision.
Commenting on these allegations, JMM leader Manoj Pandey said, "The revenue from minerals has increased in the Hemant government. As far as getting the passbook and cheque book is concerned, then Mishra is his MLA representative. Why is the BJP creating a hue and cry over this? If the electricity bill of CM's private house has to be deposited, who will deposit it? Also, the party has already expelled Ravi Kejriwal."
Earlier, on September 21, by issuing a press release, the ED claimed on the basis of the investigation done so far that illegal mining of more than one thousand crores has been carried out. So far, 47 places have been raided and 5.34 crore cash has been recovered. ED has also started an investigation by registering ECIR on the FIR lodged by FIR Shambhu Nandan Prasad with the Badharwa police station of Sahibganj alleging that he was not allowed to participate in the Barharwa toll tender, the statement said.
